Carpe Diem
by Edward-Cullen-is-Hot
Summary: Edward and Bella struggle to survive as life throws them many difficult challenges, maybe more than they can handle. Set after New Moon, with a slight time lapse. My first Twilight fanfic. Chapter 5 UP!
1. Mortal Peril

_**Carpe Diem**_

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing! If I did, I would be writing Eclipse right now instead of fanfiction!

Summary: Edward and Bella struggle to survive as life throws them many difficult challenges, maybe more than they can handle. Set after New Moon, (with a slight time lapse) my first Twilight fanfic.

I love reviews!!

On with the show. . . .

**Chapter 1**

I woke with a start, and instantly felt a stone cold hand wrap around me.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked. I didn't say anything, and Edward looked worried. "Did you have another nightmare?" he asked, growing more concerned by the second. I still said nothing, trying to sort out my thoughts.

"Damn it Bella, Talk to me!" He looked furious, and yet worried at the same time. I looked at him slowly.

"Calm down, Edward." I said. Truthfully, I was still trying to comprehend my bizarre dream myself. "It was just a bad dream, that's all." I didn't want to tell him about my horrific nightmare, a vision of myself all bloody and lifeless, with him desperately leaning over me. It was just another of my inconsequential dreams, I hoped.

"What happened?" He asked. He seemed much calmer after I had started talking, although he still looked worried.

"Nothing, it was just a dream!" I insisted. Luckily, he let it go, although he still looked suspicious.

"Well, Edward, what are we going to do today?" I asked, looking into his topaz eyes and trying to change the subject.

"I was thinking that we could go to our meadow." He said, looking back into my eyes, as if looking for permission. I was relieved that he went along with my change of subject.

"Let's go!" I said, incredibly excited. I beamed, and said, "I just need a human moment." Edward chuckled at this and nodded.

I ran into the bathroom, thankfully not tripping over anything, and got ready as quickly as I could. When I walked out of the bathroom, I could smell wonderful things coming out of the kitchen. I ran downstairs, characteristically falling on the last step, and my favorite cold arms caught me.

"Be careful, Bella." God I love his voice. I love everything about him. My Edward. I love the way that sounds.

"Smells good, what do you have cooking there?" I asked, regaining my voice.

"Bacon and eggs." He said, proud of himself. I smiled, and he reached forward and kissed my swiftly. I smiled, and he led me into the kitchen, sitting me at the table.

I ate and he watched me in silence. When I finished, I washed the dishes, and Edward said, "Charlie's at work, let's go." I nodded, and he slipped me on his back, and we were off.

When we got to the meadow, Edward stopped. Alice was there, and she looked grave. "Edward, Bella, Victoria's back."

I was absolutely dumbfounded. I felt Edward tense up beside me, and when he spoke, it came out in a harsh, very fast whisper. "Bella, we should go back to my house." Edward said. I nodded, still in stupor and within seconds he had me on his back and we were running at a break neck pace towards the Cullen house.

When we got to the front lawn, Edward stopped and I climbed off his back. We went inside to see the whole family sitting in the living room, talking in hushed voices. When we entered the talking ceased and Esme came over and gave me a huge hug.

"What are we going to do about this?" I asked, worried. After all, I knew that Victoria was after Edward and me.

"You and Edward are going on a trip." Carlisle said calmly.

"What about Charlie?" I asked, worried. "Won't Victoria go after him to try and find me?"

"I'll be watching Charlie, don't worry, Bella." Rosalie said. I looked at her, slightly shocked. She never really talked to me that much; she preferred to keep to herself. She had been trying to make an effort to be nicer to me here lately, my guess being because she still felt guilty about my first trip to Italy. Edward still held a slight grudge, but I was totally cool with her. If she hadn't of told that to Edward, I might not have gotten back together with him for a long him. I gave her a grateful smile.

"We're going to have to go somewhere." Edward said. "Well, Rose, why don't you, Jasper, and Emmett stay here, watch for Victoria. Bella and I are going to Jacksonville."

"No!" My scream shocked even myself. "She'll come after us- mom and Phil won't die because of me!"

"Fine Bella, where do you propose we go?" He looked at me quizzically. I was amazed that he was so calm during all of this. The last time Victoria had been here, we had to basically tie him down before we could have a conversation.

Finally, Rosalie spoke up. "I know of somewhere that you could go." She said, and everyone turned to look at her. "I have some friends in Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. You could stay there."

"It's settled then." Edward said. "In a few hours, we leave for Georgia." With that he led me out of the door, and to his shiny Volvo. Why do I always seem to get myself into mortal peril?

A/N: so, what did you think? Slow, I know, but I PROMISE that the next chapter has more action in it. (I have written it already, so if I get lots of happy reviews, I will happily put it up tomorrow.)

So please, review! This is my first Twilight story, and I want to know what the people think of it. If nobody reviews, I might have to cry. 


	2. Leaving

_**Carpe Diem**_

Disclaimer: I own nothing! If I did, I would be writing Eclipse right now instead of fanfiction!

A/N: I would like to send my sincerest thanks to all of my reviewers thus far, rascalboy, Yours-For-Eternity, and ForeverTopaz. I really appreciate it! I decided to put the chapter up earlier than I had originally thought, because I love this chapter so much, it was my favorite one to write thus far.

I hope you enjoy it, and as always, please review!

**Chapter 2**

We had plane tickets for Atlanta, we were leaving tonight. Edward was driving me to my house, so that I could explain to my father that I was leaving and pack.

"What am I supposed to tell Charlie, anyway?" I asked.

"The truth." Edward said calmly, laying his ice cold hand on top of mine.

"How?" I asked, giving him a skeptical expression. I looked over to find that we were sitting in my driveway now, and I wasn't surprised, knowing Edward's driving.

"Tell him that you need a vacation, that we've invited you on a trip with us. I can have Carlisle call instead, if you'd like." He said. I stared at him in wonder. He was worrying me slightly. Why wasn't he more worried about our impending doom? Didn't he care that we were about to flee for our lives, escaping a bloodthirsty, ravenous vampire hell-bent on destroying us?

I took a deep breath. "No, I'll talk to Charlie. Don't worry about it." I gave him a quick kiss before getting out of the car. "Meet me in my room, we'll pack and then leave."

He flashed my one of his beautiful, brilliant smiles, and the next thing I knew he was next to me, and he kissed me again, this time deeper, but not breaking any of his rules. Our lips parted, and he was off. I took a deep breath and walking in the door.

"Dad!" I called.

"In here, Bells!" he said, the voice coming from the kitchen. I took another deep breath and walked into the kitchen. He was standing at the stove, making eggs. I chuckled to myself when I saw that.

"Dad, I really need a vacation." He looked at me, slightly dumbfounded.

"Well, we could go to the lake-" I stopped him.

"No, Edward's family is going to Georgia, and I was hoping that I could go." I stopped short, because a deafening, resounding crash came from my bedroom. My eyes widened in horror, and I let out a small shriek. My dad looked even more surprised, and we both ran towards my bedroom.

When we reached my door, I flung it open and walked in, Charlie right behind me. I nearly fainted right there. The window had been broken, sending shards of glass all over the floor, and my entire bookcase had been knocked over, all of my books scattered everywhere, pages ripped out and lying here, there, and everywhere. But that wasn't what really scared me. It was what I saw. There, in the middle of my bedroom, were Victoria and Edward, fighting each other in a blur of movements that I could barely follow.

"What the-" Charlie started.

"Bella! LEAVE!" Edward bellowed, but it was too late. I was too stunned to move. Victoria turned towards me and went to jump on me, but at the last second Charlie flung himself in front of me. Victoria collided with my father, the force knocking me to the ground. I hit the glass-strewn floor hard. I looked up in horror, and saw Victoria's blood-red eyes as she sunk her teeth into my father's neck.

"NOOOO!!!!!!" I screamed. I felt ice cold arms grab my hastily and I felt myself being thrown onto Edward's back as he jumped out the window, running away from my house as fast as possible.

"No! Take me back! CHARLIE!" I sobbed. Edward ran faster and faster. We were in the woods now. Trees were streaming past us in a blur of green.

"NO! CHARLIE! TAKE ME BACK, EDWARD!" I sobbed. He ran faster still.

"STOP!" I screamed, and to my immense surprise and pleasure, he came to a halt. He put me down. I thought it was because of what I had said.

"Take me back to my dad, Edward." I said, trying to stay as rational as possible, although tears were still streaming down my face. He didn't respond. I barely registered a stinging sensation in my right shoulder.

"I c-can't." He said, distraught. "She'll get you, Bella. We need to get you to Carlisle." I was slightly puzzled at his last statement, and looked down at my right arm. My entire right side was covered in blood. I could smell the rusty odor and I started to get nauseous. I felt light headed, and the next thing I knew, everything went black.

1010101010

A/N: Sorry this one's short, the next one will be longer, promise! I don't think that Bella has an actual bookshelf, but for my purposes she does now. So, what do you think? Please review!


	3. Alex

_**Carpe Diem**_

_A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry this has taken so long, but with exams a mere 3 weeks away and my next Debate tournament next weekend I haven't had much time to write. I'm glad to say that I've gotten lots of reviews, most of them happy, which leads me into my next point._

_I write stories because I love to write, and I post them here hoping that others will, too. Now, I know that not everybody is going to fall in love with my work, hanging on my every word, (but wouldn't it be nice?!) but that still does not give ANYONE the right to flame any story, like I received on my last chapter. I don't mind negative reviews, but flames are NOT tolerated. Please be **constructive**, not DESTRUCTIVE. And, in referring to that same flame, please don't go preaching the dictionary to me. I live and breathe and adore the music of the 70s, therefore am perfectly well aware of the definition of the term "groovy." If you're going to review, it would be nice if you'd please at least stay on topic, and, like I said, NO FLAMES._

_Okay, emo author gone. Happy, slightly ADD author back. I would like to thank **goldnote **and** RosalieLillianHale **for your support. Flamed authors unite!! (ha-ha jk). I would also like to thank everyone who has reviewed up to this point, **rascalboy**,** Yours-For-Eternity**, **ForeverTopaz, reginah72**,** RosalieLillianHale, RoxyLeo, -SLP-**, and **amberdark. **Reviews brighten my day more than you will ever know!!_

_Ok, sorry about the long author's note. I'm happy to say that I made this story longer for those who asked for it! And, on with the show. . . _

**Chapter 3**

"How's she doing?" I registered somebody asking. "Better." another answered. I wondered vaguely where I was, and who they were talking about. Then it hit, like a tidal wave. Waves of pain were searing my entire right side, burning in pain.

"Owwwwww. . . " I let out a sigh.

"Bella?" A familiar voice asked, worried. It was my angel, and I instantly felt his cold hand wrap around my right hand, dulling the pain slightly.

"Bella, are you awake? Can you hear me? I love you." I had heard him say something similar to that before. I opened my eyes and looked into his topaz ones, and I felt better. I smiled, and he flashed me my favorite crooked smile, and I felt his hand tighten around mine, giving it a quick squeeze. I could see relief was over him.

"You had e worried." he said. I sat up straight and looked around, to see where I was. I was in Edward's room, and then a stark realization hit me, like a tom of bricks.

"Charlie!" I said, everything coming back to me. "How is he? Where is he? Is he alright?" I demanded. A melancholy expression took over Edward's features.

"Bella, I'm so sorry." he whispered, anguish evident in his eyes. I was momentarily stunned, to shocked to move. I started shaking, which hurt my shoulder, but I didn't care. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, and a flood of tears started to fall. Edward hugged me as close as he could, taking into consideration my bandages over my arm and the fact that I was still a human.

We stayed like this for a long time, me sobbing into Edward's shoulder as the realization that my father was gone hit me like a ton of bricks. When it seemed as if I had no tears left, Edward pulled back and looked me in the eyes, both of my hands clutched in his.

"Bella, we have to get out of here, now. Victoria wants us, badly. We're going to catch a flight and we'll be in Atlanta by tonight, so we'd better get ready to leave." He went to kiss my forehead, but I drew back.

"Leave?" I asked, appalled that he could think to do such a thing at a time like this. "What about the funeral? We have to tell mom. Where will I go? What will I do?" and with that, I started sobbing again. Edward hugged me again, this time cautiously, to see if I would draw back. When I didn't, he hugged me tighter.

"We can have a funeral in Georgia, or when we come back here, whichever you'd like." He said. I felt his lips on my hair. "And what do you mean, 'where will I go?' do you think that I'd let you live on the streets or something?" I smiled despite the tears streaming down my cheeks.

"No, well, I guess you're right." I said. "I guess we could have him cremated, and then have a proper service for him once we get back here. I sat up and looked at Edward. He just sat there, as godlike as ever, his perfection tainted by his solemn expression. He leaned in and kissed me, and the feeling of his lips against mine made all of my worries dissolved.

Our lips parted, and Edward stood up and gathered me into his arms, his expression changing from solemn to determined and grim. "Let's get going. We're going to skip packing and get going. I don't know how long it will be until Victoria gets back."

"Where is she, anyway?" I asked.

"Alice saw her and me fighting in your bedroom, and so her, Jasper, and Emmett tricked her, and led her off up into Canada. Last I talked to them, it was working, and she was tracking them. We'll see what happens from there." He gave me a weak smile, as if trying to reassure me, but it didn't reach his eyes. I could tell that he was upset that he wasn't there, hunting Victoria with his siblings.

We walked downstairs, and then Edward put me down. Esme and Carlisle were in the foyer.

Carlisle looked at me. "Are you feeling alright, Bella? Need any painkillers?"

"No thanks." I said.

He smiled and said, "I think the bandage can come off. You were very lucky, the wound was really clean." With that he walked over, and carefully unraveled the bandage on my arm. He looked at the wound, and said, "Yup. Looks good."

"Are you all about to leave, then?" Esme asked. Edward nodded. She pulled us both into a huge hug. "Be safe." She said.

"We will." He pledged.

1010101010

_(Later, on the plane) _

"So, who are we meeting in Atlanta, anyways?" I asked. The plane was taxiing down the runway, preparing to take off.

"There is a small, family, if you will, that lives in one of the suburbs." Edward explained, watching his word choice and glancing around to see if anyone overheard us. I could feel the plane's speed increasing, and eventually felt to wheels leave the ground.

"Why do they live there? Isn't it a bit too sunny?" I asked, puzzled.

"They, uhh, well, you'll see." He said. He smiled warmly and reached down and kissed me lightly. The rest of the trip was spent in a peaceful silence. I couldn't help but think about my father, and what was going to happen now that he was gone.

Once the plane landed, Edward grabbed my hand and we walked off the plane together. Once in the airport, I saw one of the most beautiful vampires that I had ever seen. She was tall, and had long, dirty blonde hair, and had a pair of sunglasses sitting on top of her hair. It was easy to see why she and Rosalie were friends. She was wearing a denim skirt, and a black tee shirt that had the words "Band Geek" printed across the front. She was wearing a white button up shirt underneath that, with the collar peeking out at the top, and the bottom edges shown at the hem of the skirt. She was wearing black sandals that I recognized as a pair of Steve Maddens that Alice had once forced me into. I looked up at her face and saw that she wore no make-up, as if she needed it, and I saw a beautiful honey tone in her irises.

When she saw us, she broke out in the hugest of smiles. "Edward!" She squealed, and she ran up and gave him a huge hug, the force of it knocking my hand out of his. She gave him the slightest of kisses on the cheek before turning towards me.

"Oh, and you must be Bella! Welcome!" She smiled, and gave me a huge hug, and I thought my insides were crushing. When she released me, I gave her a weak smile. "Nice to meet you." I said.

Edward introduced us. "Bella, meet Alex." He said.

Alex smiled. "Hey, you guys ready to get going?" she said. We nodded, and we started walking out. I felt Edward snake his arm around my waist.

All of the sudden, Alex let out a little squeal. "Starbucks!" She exclaimed, and ran to the little coffee shop. Edward smiled slightly, and dragged me forward.

"Tall mocha." Alex told the cashier. The lady smiled, and Edward ordered a drink for me. After insisting on paying, we continued to walk toward the parking lot.

"I can't believe you can still drink those. How do you do it?" Edward asked Alex. She smiled. "It's Starbucks." She said, emphasizing the name of the coffee shop, as if that explained everything. I smiled at her nonetheless. I had just met her, but I had decided that I liked her.

"So, where are you parked?" Asked Edward. "Right here." She said. She stopped and motioned towards a charcoal gray Mustang GT. It was a recent model, and it had a rag top.

"Nice." Edward said appreciatively. She opened the door and Edward sat next to me, in the backseat. Alex got into the drivers seat and set off.

Once we were on the dauntingly huge interstate, Alex sped up, and I could tell that we were traveling well above the legal speed limit.

"So, how's everyone there doing?" Alex asked. She looked in the rear view mirror at Edward. "How's Rose?"

"Fine." he said. Alex smiled. "Now, I'm curious." She said. "How did you two meet?"

Edward smiled. "Fate." he said simply. Alex beamed.

"Ohh, Alex," Edward said, "We didn't pack anything, in the interest of time. Do you think that we could go somewhere and pick something up?" If possible, Alex smiled even more. She abruptly turned the wheel and we got off at the next exit. We pulled into the mall parking lot and parked. Once inside, Alex and I threw our cups away.

"Let's get started!" She said brightly.

"Joy." I whispered sarcastically. Alex turned around, slightly stunned.

"You don't like shopping?" Alex asked, kind of hurt. Edward laughed.

"We'll change that." She vowed, and grabbed my hand. We walked into the first shop we saw, a Saks Fifth Avenue. "Let's go!" She was ecstatic, just like Alice got when we went shopping. Edward placed his hand on my back for encouragement. It was going to be a long day.

1010101010

A/N: apologies for the uneventful chapter, but next chapter we will hear from Alice and meet the rest of Alex's coven. We'll also learn something cool about her. So, what do you think of her as a character? Tell me what you think!


	4. Washing Machine Accident

_**Carpe Diem**_

_A/N: Hey! Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story and likes Alex. I have a Speech and Debate tournament next weekend and I have to go to work, too, and it is also the 2 week mark until finals. All of that means that updates might be a little slow in the upcoming weeks, but I will try to get as much written as I can beforehand. I'm so glad that everyone is enjoying the story, and keep reviews coming, I love them!_

_Oh, and I forgot to add a disclaimer to the last chapter. I own nothing, not Twilight, Starbucks, Edward Cullen, Louis Vuitton, Cheesecake Factory, or anything else I might refer to. I really don't. _

_Sorry this took so long! I meant to have it out yesterday, but life's crazy at the moment, so forgive me._

**Chapter 4**

My arms hurt. My head hurt. My feet hurt. I was tired. Alex was starting to drive me insane. I tried to look down at my watch, (I had actually worn one today), but I had so many bags in my hands that it was insurmountable. We had been walking around the mall all day long. This was worse than shopping with Alice. The only good part about it was that I had my angel at my side, holding onto my hand. I finally spoke up.

"What time is it?" I asked warily. Edward squeezed my hand and I relaxed noticeably.

"8:30!" Alex sounded surprised, as if we hadn't already been shopping for several hours. "We still have a few minutes, where haven't we been yet?" She asked herself. She came to an abrupt stop. "Louis Vuitton!" She exclaimed, and walked into a store that we were right by. "We can be in and out. . ."

I groaned as she started looking at the handbags that were lining a wall. She chose a monogram clutch that was white with the logo in various colors all over it. She tossed it towards me. Luckily, I was only a few feet away so I caught it.

"What'd you think?" She asked. I examined the little bag.

"I dunno, but aren't we supposed to be looking at clothes and shoes and stuff?" I asked, perplexed.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot!" She said. She turned her head to the shoes section of the store. To my utmost horror, she chose a pair of knee high boots that were light brown leather. She asked the salesperson for my size, and a few seconds later I had on the impossible boots, and I was on my feet, hobbling around in them.

"Oh, they're fabulous! Absolutely perfect! We're getting two pairs!" She said. I looked up at her in horror. One was bad enough, but 2 pairs? That was a bit ridiculous. "One for you, one for me!" She explained enthusiastically.

She called the salesperson back over and went to pay. Edward went to follow but Alex wouldn't have it. "No, no. You've paid all day long. This is my present to Bella." She looked at me, beaming. Great. Another way for me to fall over and trip, exactly what I needed.

Once we had paid, It was a little after nine. Edward spoke up.

"We should go get something to eat." He said. "The human has to eat regularly, you see." A broad grin crossed his face. I huffed at him in mock anger, but in truth I couldn't be happier that we were leaving the mall. Alex didn't seem upset at all.

"Great! We can go change clothes, and then go to the Cheesecake Factory. It's right by here." Alex grabbed my wrist and led me towards the bathrooms.

"Alright, but be quick. The mall closes in 10 minutes." I looked back at him desperately as Alex dragged me towards the Women's room doors. He gave me a wink, and sat down on one of the benches to wait for us.

Once the door closed, Alex started shuffling through the bags.

"I don't need to change." I tried. Alex looked over me appraisingly. She seemed to zero in on every little imperfection in my outfit, a pair of jeans, a baggy tee shirt, and sneakers.

"Sorry, honey, but yes, you do." She said simply. "Oh, and we can wear our new boots, this is absolutely _fabulous_!"

She looked back into one of the bags and pulled out a black embroidered skirt. It was from Banana Republic and it came to my knee, plus it actually had looked alright on me. I shuddered to look at the price tags. Alex started digging through the other bags and pulled out a deep red silk cami. It had 3 rows of sequins going from the bust down to the bottom, which also had a band of sequins. It flared out ever so slightly. She handed me a black jacket and told me to go get dressed. I reluctantly entered the stall.

When I walked out, Alex was standing there waiting, although she herself had changed. She was now wearing a black dress that was silk. It looked fabulous on her, I must say. But then again, I'm sure everything looked fabulous on her.

"You look great!" She said after looking over me appraisingly. She grabbed a tiny pair of scissors out of her bag and cut off all of the tags.

"I guess I won't be wearing the boots." I said, hard pressed to keep the glee from my voice.

"I know, isn't sad?" Alex sounded genuinely saddened at this thought. "But it's ok, I have these!" She said all enthusiasm back in her voice. She held up a pair of black strappy sandals. I looked at them, and I wondered how many times that I was going to fall tonight. Nonetheless, I put them on. I went to look in the mirror. I gotta give Alex credit. I looked good. My clothes made me look like I had curves; the shoes making my legs look phenomenal. Alex looked into another bag and withdrew a bright turquoise clutch. She handed it to me and looked me over one more time.

"Your hair." She said. She reached into her ever-trusty bag and pulled out a brush. After all of it was combed, she grabbed a clip that was also in her purse.

"Gosh, Alex, what all do you have in there?" I asked, motioning to her bag. She smiled and pulled half of my hair back, clipping it into place. She stood back and admired her handiwork.

"Perfect." She said. She turned around at vampire-speed and slipped on a pair of bright red pumps before I knew it. She grabbed a black clutch that we had bought today. I looked at the staggering pile of bags, and it sunk in how much shopping that we had actually done.

Alex scooped up most of the bags, leaving only a few for me. I grabbed the rest and walked out to go and see my angel, anxious to see his reaction.

When I exited the bathroom, Edward was standing right outside the door, waiting to look at me. I watched his eyes widen in surprise, and then he flashed me a huge smile before coming to take the bags out of my hands and kiss me, ever so softly.

"Bella, you look absolutely amazing." He said.

"C'mon! Let's go!" She said. We walked out to the parking lot and put all of the bags in the trunk.

We got into the car and drove the short way to the restaurant. Edward came around to my door and opened it for me. He offered out his hand, and I took it. I held it tightly, clinging to him for support in my impossible heels.

We got seated fairly quickly, and I only I ordered food. The waitress must have thought we were crazy, but I really didn't care at that point in time. I ate dinner, which passed by rather uneventfully.

1010101010

_After Dinner on the way home_

We were driving towards Alex's house. It was in one of the smaller towns in the suburbs of Atlanta. Everything was quiet, and Edward and I were holding hands when Alex pointed to the window and exclaimed, "It's a Mustang!"

Edward laughed. I must've looked perplexed, because he explained, "It's her favorite game, Spot-the-Mustang. She has what one might call an obsession for them."

Alex simply beamed and looked in the mirror at the black hard top that had passed us. I laughed.

"We're here!" Alex proclaimed, and we were in her driveway. I'll never get used to how vampires drive. We got out and grabbed all of the bags. I was anxious to meet the rest of Alex's coven. We walked to the front door of the huge, brick fronted house, and Alex opened the door.

"Dad! We're back." She said in a normal toned, but yet still excited voice. A man walked forward, well, actually a male vampire walked forward, and smiled.

"Hi. I'm Martin." He said. I looked at him and smiled. He was very tall with dark hair and his irises were darker, which made me nervous. He was still smiling genially when he put his hand out for me to shake. I took it, and said, "My name's Bella, nice to meet you."

He looked at Edward and said, "Nice to finally meet you, Edward. Alex just won't shut up about you ever since Rosalie called." They shook hands as well, and then Alex exclaimed, "We went shopping!"

Martin rolled his eyes. "That figures." He said. "I wondered why you were gone for about 12 hours."

Alex smiled widely and said, "Well, we got to the mall at like 11, so we only shopped for a couple hours." She was smiling despite herself.

"Is there anything left in the mall? I don't even want to know how much you bought." he said, as if remembering something that had passed years ago. Alex was still beaming when he said, "Forgive me, but I think I need to go hunt, if you don't mind." Nobody did.

"I'll show you your room." She said. Alex took us up to our room and set down all the bags. I looked around the good sized room. It had a couch and a separate chair in the middle, and there was a bookcase against a wall. There was also a fireplace that the couch and chairs were facing. Alex turned to me. "I have the clothes you came in, and, uh, I'll go wash those for you. . ." she left hurriedly, my clothes in her hands. Edward chuckled.

"You won't be seeing those again." He said. I laughed, even though I was pissed. He sat down on the couch that was in the room. I came and sat down next to him, and he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me closely. "We're finally alone." I said.

"Yes." He smiled. He reached down and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

"Have you heard from Alice or anybody?" I asked. He shook his head. After that, I just sat there, thinking. What will life be like without dad? What will mom say?

I must have looked upset, because Edward asked, "Bella, what's wrong?"

I didn't realize that I was crying until I felt a tear run down my cheek. He hugged me closer. "Your Dad." He said knowingly. "It'll be alright Bella, promise. We'll have a service when we get back to Forks."

"What about the-the-the-" I couldn't say it, but Edward got the gist. "Esme had the remains put in a casket, and he was buried in the Forks cemetery. Bella, honey, I'm so sorry that you couldn't be there or that this even happened in the first place. It'll be alright, we'll get back there soon. I'm sorry." He said again. I started crying properly now, clinging to him for support. He hugged me tighter, and let me cry.

A little while later, Alex walked in with a blanket and pillows. "Thought you might want these." She said. Edward stood up and smiled, and took the pillows from her. "The couch folds out into a bed, and we bought pajamas at the mall for you, Bella." she said.

"Or, you could give me back the clothes I came in?" I said hopefully. Alex's expression changed. "Funny thing that is, really. You see, there was a tragic washing machine accident, and, well, they're ruined of course. Lucky we got you some at the mall." She said quickly. I had expected something like this. I smiled and said, "Well thanks anyway, Alex." She beamed and said, "Goodnight!" before leaving.

Edward chuckled. "Washing machine accident. . ." he said thoughtfully. "How unfortunate." I hit him on the shoulder playfully.

I rummaged through one of the bags and found a silk nightgown. I held it up and looked at it. It was lilac, and was really short. Edward smiled.

"I like it!" He said enthusiastically. "Don't look." was my answer, and he obediently turned around as I put it on. "Alright." I said. He turned around and smiled. I stood up on my tip toes and kissed him.

We pulled out the bed from under the couch, and we both lied down. I sighed. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, and kissed me. "Go to sleep, Bella." He said.

And I did.

1010101010

_A/N: Ok, I'm sorry; I suck at writing 'filler' chapters. Tell me what you thought nonetheless. Oh, and never fear, there is action in the next chap. I don't know when it will be up, but if I can get a lot done this week, I might (and I stress 'might') have it up by Friday._

_Good Wishes hugs and kisses,_

_ECIH_


	5. Mustangs, Murders, and Marching Bands

_**Carpe Diem **_

_A/N: Before I start the story, I would like to give all of my readers, (AKA you guys) a well-deserved apology for not updating sooner and **RosalieLilianHale**_ and** _Aulophobic Clarinetist _**_a thank you for picking me up off of my lazy butt and forcing me to write this. _

_It wasn't what I had originally envisioned for this chapter, but I was dazing off in French when this idea came to me. I started writing this instead of the French notes that I was supposed to be taking, and, well, this is it._

_Oh, and an update on my personal life, I made it to the National competition in Speech and Debate, so that's part of why it took so long, because the qualifying tournament was last weekend. _

_I would like to thank all of my reviewers for reviewing, and apologize again for being so damn lazy. Also, this is the disclaimer: I own nothing. None of it. So don't sue me._

_Happy (belated) Mardi Gras!!! (Hey, I live in New Orleans, give me a break!)_

_On with the show!!_

**Chapter 5**

I woke up to the sound of somebody pounding on the door. I slowly opened my eyes and mumbled something like, "come in." The door swung open and Alex skipped in, holding two cardboard cups.

"Starbucks!" She exclaimed, beaming. I took a sip of coffee and looked around.

"Where is Edward?" I asked.

"He went hunting," Alex explained. She started rummaging through the bags from last night and found a simple pair of jeans, a tank top, and some flip-flops. She handed them to me and said, "Get dressed, we're going out."

"Where?" I asked, perplexed.

"It's a surprise!" She was genuinely enthused about our mysterious destination, and I could only think of my horrible experience at the mall.

She looked at me, and, reading my calculating expression, said, "We're not going to the mall, just . . . shopping." Oh boy. Shopping.

I got up and dressed, thankful that today's outfit didn't require death heels. I walked downstairs and sat down at the kitchen table, finishing my coffee. Alex skipped in, looking gorgeous in her jeans and a bright red tank top, but I noticed that she wore her favorite break-your-neck heeled Steve Maddens, and I was again thankful that she hadn't put me through that same torture.

I heard the door open and close, and my angel walked into the room, his eyes the color of honey, and all I could do was stare into his beautiful eyes, and he flashed me my favorite smile, my smile, and all I could do was grin hopelessly back.

He sat down gracefully in the chair next to me, and Alex beamed as well. "Are we ready to go?" she asked. We nodded and all went out to her car.

We hadn't been driving for vary long, but soon Alex pulled into a huge parking lot of a car dealership. "The Ford Dealer?" I asked, perplexed.

"Yeah." She replied simply. She continued, "I've been thinking that its time for a new car. Mines like a 2006 model. Plus, it's a Mustang Dealership! Doesn't this make you happy?" I smiled to myself at Alex, and she started looking at the different models.

An hour later, Alex had a brand new, candy-apple red Mustang Cobra, and she was on cloud nine. "Don't you just love Mustangs?" She asked. Edward chuckled.

"So was this the secret destination?" I asked her.

"Only part of it. Now, we're gonna go somewhere awesome. We're going to watch somebody perform."

I had no clue where we were going, but we started driving again, and this time pulled up at Alex's school. Edward opened my door for me, and then all of us walked around to the football field. "What is it?" I asked.

"A marching band competition!" Alex could barely conceal the glee in her voice. "Phantom Regiment is playing!"

I gave a huge smile, not really sure who Phantom Regiment was. Edward grasped my hand, and we found seats in the stands.

The first band came onto the field, and I figured it was this Phantom Regiment group because Alex inhaled sharply and let out a light squeal. They started playing, and I guess they were really good. Throughout the performance, Alex would say things like, "Aren't they amazing?" and "I heart Phantom!" This made Edward and I laugh at least.

When Phantom Regiment was finished, a few more bands went, and when it was finished, Alex was talking nonstop.

We got into her car and went back to Alex's house. When we got there, Edward and I went up to our room and Alex went off hunting.

We sat on the couch for a little while, and I said, "I think I'm going to take a shower."

I got up and went into the bathroom, found a towel, and showered. I was dressed and toweling my hair dry when my door banged open, and I was suddenly standing face to face with a vampire. He had blood red eyes, and I screamed.

I looked at the vampire again, this time closer, and realized who it was. "Charlie!" I screamed.

"Hush!" He whispered. "Just come with me, Bella. I won't hurt you. I just want to give you a gift. The gift of eternal life."

I shrank back from him, and considered his offer. After all, that was what I wanted, to be a vampire. But, Charlie.

All of a sudden he lashed out at me, and I screamed. I started running down the hall, which was futile because he was in front of me again in a blink.

"Shut up, you foolish girl! If you don't I'll kill you!" I couldn't help it. I let out another scream. Where was Edward?

All of a sudden, I heard a low, unfamiliar growl, and I saw Martin facing Charlie. His eyes were honey, but the rest of his face was drawn, and he was still emitting a bone chilling growl.

Charlie lashed out at Martin, and I screamed. "Get out of here!" Martin yelled, right before he threw himself on top of Charlie. I heeded his advice and ran down the stairs, and right as I reached the second to last step, I tripped over my foot, and was about to fall flat on my face when Edward grabbed me.

"Bella, I'm so sorry, I didn't help you, I- Alice, well-" He stopped short, and a low but fearsome growl escaped from his chest. I knew he had just read Charlie's mind.

"Go outside, no, go take Alex's car and drive somewhere. Anywhere. Just get out of here, go!" With that he was upstairs, and I ran into the kitchen and found Alex's spare set of keys on the table. I went outside and got in the car, but I didn't drive anywhere. I started sobbing, the tears gushing down my face. Charlie wasn't dead, and I thought he was, but he wanted me dead, but I wanted to be dead, but I wanted Edward to kill me, not my dad, and my dad was a freaking vampire! My life is so confusing sometimes.

I continued to sit there, in the driver's seat, and sob for the next little bit, and Edward came outside. I jumped out of the car when I saw him, and ran into the protection of his arms. He held me to him tightly, and was rocking me back and forth lightly before he said, "He's dead, Bella."

101010101010

A/N: Okay, he's really dead this time. I apologize, because this isn't my best writing. But, it's still an update, and if you guys still love me a little, even though I left you hanging for a little bit, you'll review!! Thanks!

ECIH


End file.
